Awareness campaign to fight protectionism and promote trade
Rome, 1 December. (Askanews) – In a scenario increasingly dominated by conflicts and economic problems, the development of international trade and exchanges is an ideal solution to maintain the balance of peace between nations. From this was born the new “Make a trade, not a war” campaign promoted by iBanFirst, a financial services company that offers tailor-made solutions for managing collections and payments in foreign currency.
The initiative aims to educate public opinion and the business community on the importance of international trade in impeding protectionism and promoting trade. The idea of ”making commerce, not war” embraces the idea developed by Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu in the eighteenth century according to which peace was a corollary of trade and created the interdependence of nations, making war more costly and therefore futile. The campaign, carried out in the public relations and social spheres, was supported by a study commissioned by BVA Doxa that examined sentiments regarding the concept of free trade and trade relations with other countries: 94% of Italians believe that international trade is a very positive factor, while 4% Only they consider them to be something negative and 2% consider something very harmful to their country.
The study was conducted on a sample of more than 5,000 people over the age of 18, of whom 1,003 were in Italy, from October 20 to 25, 2022. France, Germany, England and the Netherlands are also among the participating countries.
There is a common denominator linking the biggest global crises of recent times, from the financial crisis of 2008 to the Covid-induced crisis of 2020: increased protectionism. The International Monetary Fund believes that since 2008 state intervention has grown significantly at the expense of international trade. According to the International Monetary Fund, this protectionist trend stems from a combination of rising populism in the West, geopolitical and economic crises, and climate change. The scenario reinforced by the conflict in Ukraine, the ongoing tensions over energy and raw material problems, and the threat of inflation. Promoting trade between countries is a possible solution to countering protectionism.
The ideal solution is to reform globalization and international trade to meet today’s challenges: geopolitical upheaval and climate change. To this end, international trade should be reshaped on the basis of three main messages:
Zero Impact: International trade wants to continue and grow, and must adopt reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a limit of its operations, whether through technological advances or through changes in practices. Resilience in the face of crises: The Covid crisis and the war in Ukraine showed how important it is for international trade to better withstand crises and be able to coordinate regional value chains and secure supplies of food, medicine and technology. Social Inclusion: To be accepted by the world’s population, international trade must face equality and inclusion challenges to reduce its negative effects.
“We created the Make Trade, Not War campaign to highlight a message of hope and positivity. Behind international trade are our customers, men and women, who strive every day to reduce their environmental footprint and promote local skills on a global scale – explained Michele Sanson, Director for Italy of iBanFirst – We are convinced that trade and free trade can be questioned and need to be reinvented, but at the same time they are Indisputable progress in recent decades in building links between countries. That is why it must be preserved.”